Sania-Huber Pair Survives Big W Scare

India's Sania Mirza joined countrymen Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna in the second week of the Wimbledon doubles competition.

LONDON: Sania Mirza joined countrymen Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna in the second week of the Wimbledon doubles competition.

Sania and veteran American Liezel Huber beat back difficult opposition in Italy's Flavia Pennetta and German Andrea Petkovic - both tremendous strikers of the ball - 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-2 in the second round late on Saturday.

Sania, 26, and Liezel, 36, did well to swing the opening set tie-break their way after both sides held on to their serves. The fancied pairing, however, had a meltdown in the second set, but came back strongly to finish in style a match they had begun a trifle uncertainly.

Cheered on by a vocal audience in the decider, the Indian led the way from the back of the court after a battling fifth game in which she saved three breakpoints on her serve before breaking her opponents for the first time in the match, in the following game. The Indo-American combine broke again in the eighth game to close out the match.

In the third round, Sania and Liezel, the sixth seeds, will play Shuko Ayoma of Japan and South African Chanelle Scheepers. Sania, Paes and Bopanna will start their mixed doubles campaign next week.